The name American as a noun means a person that is native or an
inhabitant of America, but the most common reference is to the U.S.A., United
States of America. However, it can mean anyone from any country in the Americas:
North American, Meso America (including the Caribbean) and South America.
Within all of the nations of the Americas born of European colonies that invaded
Native American nations are surviving Native American groups and a series of
various immigrants. Depending on the prejudicial barriers, economic necessity
and survival admixture took place that produced physical blending as well as new
cultural identities.

Identity is both a subjective and an objective phenomena based
on individual cognitive domains and outward behaviors, clothing, hair, body art
and accessories. The perspective of the individual and others completes an
identity of a person, group, region, nation, etc. Ones identity changes and
evolves. Sometimes, the chasm between self conceived identity and how others see
us can be great and scary. Many mixed identities can be very complex and
confusing, but can be a sources of strength. Americans can be from a real mix of
the following, with the possibility unknown or denied origins.

American group names

Native American (Inuit, Yupik, Aleut. American Indian)

European American

African American

Asian American

Pacific Islander American

These names are basic and current, but have changed over the years.
Also, the social terms for these groups are loaded with prejudice and
ignorance. Humans tend to respond to expressed difference in look,
speech, behavior and perceived ideology. We can embrace or celebrate
difference, as well as reject or persecute those that are different.
American culture has gone through many cycles of moving away from
homeostasis.

B. Folk Culture and American Studies

American Studies is an interdisciplinary area that includes
history, anthropology/sociology, literature, visual arts, music, ethnic studies and gender studies
that focus on American culture over time to the present. Some
scholars study just the United States, while others include all of the Americas.
Attempts to document American culture, both Native American and Immigrant
cultures (European, African, Asia-Pacific) really began with Thomas Jefferson
and Albert Gallatin who set out to study Native American language and culture
when Philadelphia was our nations capitol. Benjamin Franklin established
the American Philosophical Society in
1743-45 to bring together knowledge of the early colonial experiment in America.
Thomas Jefferson became the president of the American Philosophical Society in
1797 just before becoming Vice President of the United States. Jefferson used
the APS as a think tank and resource to prepare for the "Voyage of Discovery"/
The Lewis and Clark Expedition 1803-06. The U.S capitol shifted to
Washington D.C and later the Smithsonian Institution (established in
1846) became our nations 'attic' and sought to gather objects and information
about American culture. Since a good deal of America's experience on the
frontier necessitated knowledge and information to be informal,
The American Folklore Society was established in
1888 to document and preserve oral traditions.

An American historian, Frederic Jackson Turner, wrote a paper in 1890
that promoted the idea that the 'frontier experience' in
America was reflected in the literature and art with symbols or themes that
revealed the uniqueness of an American Culture. The frontier symbolized the
spiritual and economic renewal of the country and those that settled it. The
'virgin' land or wilderness confronted civilization and became the "Promised
Land" with Manifest Destiny as the justification for European Christian
immigrants to displace Native Americans, cut down forests and kill all the
wildlife they could. These ideas were an effective
driving force in American history, but distorted the complexity of the
environment, ignored ethnic diversity, women, the fact the land was not free but
stolen. As Americans closed the frontier in 1890 the discrepancies became clear
and a progressive movement emerged. The progressive movement tried to protect
what was being destroyed or abused. This is still a continual debate in American
culture. We still struggle with what is an American? From an individual point of
view this becomes part of one's identity that is ultimately shared to some
degree to formulate an American character and culture. Throughout the 20th century it became
clear that the so called 'Melting Pot' was not a reality and that Americans were
more of an 'exotic salad bar'. The question still remains how do we create a
'healthy salad'. In times of crisis Americans come together, but in prosperity
adverse and greed settle in.

In 1951 the American Studies
Association was formed and in 1994 the internet site The
Crossroads Project based out of Georgetown University emerged in 1993 to
bring many diverse resources into an accessible network and included a website.
This has recently closed down. However, the
Library of
Congress developed its online resource of documents, photos and media archive in
1990 with the American Memory Project. Many academic institutions, including
Palomar College have developed, American Studies Programs or departments. These
include: